For the Longest Time
by Magic Kaito
Summary: Both my first Inuyasha and romance fic! Inuyasha's been doing some thinking lately, maybe too much. Please R&R! InuKag


**Notice: **This is no longer a songfic. Just... imagine the lyrics.

For The Longest Time

AN: I've been watching Inuyasha ever since Cartoon Network got it, and I love it for some reason, so it's about time I wrote a fic for it! Thought it'd be easiest to start with a songfic. I've always loved the song "For the Longest Time" and as I was listening to it on a CD that Candyland gave me (I can listen to it whenever, yeah!) I started noticing how some of the lines made me think of Inuyasha (which I don't own either). I listened to it again and realized that this song is pretty much perfect for a fic, and then I had to figure out how to write one for it. But I did, as you can see. As much as I'd like to, it's hard to get away from romancy stuff with this show as far as I can see, and using this song means I can't get away from it no matter how hard I try, but I hope it's okay. I need to start writing romance fics, anyhow, and I actually don't mind the couple stuff from this show, at least the two that are most prominent in fics and maybe on the show, I don't know since Adult Swim is only up to episode 36 as of now. I started this 4 different times, which shows you how hard it's been. However, I had to use my original four opening lines cause in the opinions of my friends it's classic.

Okay, I've got a funny story. A while back I was watching Adult Swim and it was starting off and it said "Welcome!" (new screen) "We've got some wonderful shows for you this evening!" I complusively said "Inuyasha!" even though I knew it was off, and the next screen said "Except InuYasha". I was rolling on the floor laughing for the next fifteen minutes and my parents had no idea what was going on. That's the first time the TVs ever talked back to me! However, I delayed my reaction long enough to find out that they're getting new ones on Aug. 25! Yaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy! On my dad's birthday right when school's started again, and our district changed the starting time and put it up 20 minutes plus I have marching band practice at 6:50 on those days. It sucks. But I'm going to stay up and watch it cause I'm a senior and a Drum Line leader person so I'll make it work! I'm ranting again! Crap! Let's write!

* * *

Inuyasha walked down the rocky path. Yup, he's walkin. Look at him go. Walkin. He was not traveling without purpose, however. It was a miracle that he was not running. It was incredibly important that he caught up with her and stopped this. The air was still heavy with her smell. She had definitely been through here recently. 

As he neared his destination the scent became stronger. "She is," the half demon thought, finally picking up his pace. "What does she think she's doing? This can't happen now!" Realizing that he was losing time, he broke into an all out run. With his super human speed, he should easily catch up to her within a minute or so.

Inuyasha entered a nearby forest and stopped for just a moment to make sure that his assumption was correct. Her scent was still there, much stronger than it had been when he was walking. He ran off into the woods, heading for a small clearing a few hundred yards away. "She better still be there," he mumbled as he sprinted through the undergrowth, scaring off any small animals which were unfortunate enough to be in his way but fortunate enough to get out of it in time.

The sun was on the verge of setting as he came upon the opening. The last rays of sunlight gleamed over the tree tops and directly onto her, making her black hair shine. He paused for a moment and watched before he remembered what he was doing and why he had followed her.

"Wait!" Inuyasha exclaimed.

She turned quickly to see who was behind her, though she didn't really need to. With a sigh she said, "What do you want now?"

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I think I'm going home!" Kagome replied upsetly, one hand on the well.

"Why?"

"I all ready told you, I have a test tomorrow! I haven't been to school in almost a month, anyway! It'll be a miracle if I don't fail for bad attendance since someone won't let me leave!"

"How can you think of leaving at a time like this?"

"What do you mean, Inuyasha? For the fifth time, I have a test! If I don't pass, I'm going to be in school even longer which I'm sure you don't want."

"Well... wh... why do you have to do that school thing anyway?"

"Because I do, Inuyasha. I'll see you in two days. That's all. It won't be that long."

"But what if something happens."

"Nothing will happen! Plus, I'll only be away for two days. If it's something that I need to be here for, I'm sure it can be settled..."

"That's not what I mean," Inuyasha said harshly. Kagome stopped and stared at him questioningly for a moment. "What if I never see you again?"

There was an awkward moment of silence following this.

"W-what?" Kagome finally managed to murmur.

Inuyasha suddenly got a very strange look on his face and began stumbling for words. "I mean... I... That is... um... I... uh... you... er... why did... you... you know what just happened! Who's to say that something like that won't happen again within the next two days? And how do we know things will turn out the same?"

"Everything will be all right," she replied, looking a little uncomfortable. "I think he's hurt badly enough that he won't..."

"See," Inuyasha interrupted, starting to seem more in control of himself, "you said you 'think'. You don't know it for sure! Something could happen! What if we get driven away from the well and you get attacked when you come back through? Or what if Miroku and Sango and I can't handle it and we all get..."

"Don't say things like that!" Kagome exclaimed. "Nothing is going to happen, I'm sure of it."

"But... you remember what went on four days ago! Who's to say he won't try it again and do it with more force? It was bad enough this time! You almost..." his voice trailed off here and he turned his head away lost in thought. Kagome remained silent and waited for him to continue.

"I just... I don't think I could handle it if something happened to you, that's all," he finally said.

"What do you mean 'if something happens to me?'" she replied. "Aren't you worried about yourself, too? Not that anything's going to happen, which it isn't. Just..." 

Inuyasha appeared to have lost his words again. "Well... um... that is to say, I... that is... I mean... it... didn't come out exactly how I meant it to," he finally stammered.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean..." The hanyou looked incredibly uncomfortable at this moment. "I, uh... that didn't come out right, either."

"I'm confused, Inuyasha," Kagome replied, with an uncertain look on her face.

"You... you know," he began, but trailed off again and lost himself in thought.

"The battle the other day," he said to himself. "Why doesn't she see that it could happen again, and soon. I thought I was going to lose her again, except the last time I thought that I didn't really react the right way. I guess I didn't think anything like that would happen again. I hoped it wouldn't. Last time it was Sesshomaru, but he was working with him and had a few things that he normally didn't, but still. And I told her not to do anything, but she still thought she could make a difference. By the time it was over, I could barely move, but I knew I had to beat Naraku. And I couldn't let her get hurt. I couldn't let another woman die. I mean, I had all ready lost Kikyo, and after everything that she had gone through with me and how I felt afterward, I knew I couldn't handle losing another one. I... I don't know. I was so afraid of losing Kagome that I let her go.

"Then I went to attack Naraku, even though the priestess, the monk, and that stupid kitsune tried to hold me back. But even though I thought I made sure it could never happen again, she came back. Even though I didn't want her to, she did. Yet, when I saw her again, I... I wanted her there with me. She didn't seem mad at me either, at first. She was just... and then..."

His inner voice faded away as well and visions of her returning to the Warring States Era after he threw her down the well and took the jewel shards and how she embraced him as soon as they saw each other.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome finally said, looking very worried at the strange way he had been acting ever since he had arrived in the clearing.

He snapped out of his daydream and looked at her for a few moments. "Sorry," he muttered, lowering his eyes.

Darkness was quickly beginning to fill the area. The full moon was rising, which was pretty much the given phase when it came to him except for that time when it was a new moon and he became human, but that's only happened once. It came through an opening in the branches and the light shown into the clearing and reflected the sliver of his hair in the increasing darkness. 

"Well," Kagome began quietly, with the same look on her face, "I really need to get home, Inuyasha. Um, if you aren't feeling well, maybe you should see Kaede and..."

"Haven't you heard a thing I've said!" he exclaimed, moving toward her in anger. "I won't allow you to leave! Sure, it's only been four days since Naraku attacked, but we've learned that he can regain his strength quickly! If he thinks that we're still weakened, he'll attack us as soon as possible with more force! I can't let us be separated right now!"

"Inuyasha, I'll be in my own time!" Kagome replied, becoming quite angry with the half demon. "How can anything happen to me? It's you you should be worried about! But I'm positive that nothing will happen in the next two days! Please, let me go home!"

"Well, I won't!" he answered, their voices quickly reaching all out fight level. "What if he tries something so I can't get to the well when you come back through? Then what! You know he's been going after you more than any of us, Kagome! Ever since you destroyed his body he's been trying to kill you! He even had Kikyo try to..."

Inuyasha stopped himself at the look on her face. She had turned her head and was now looking painfully at the ground.

"He wasn't controlling her," she answered softly. "I know Naraku wants to get rid of me before he gets rid of the rest of you, but that's exactly why you shouldn't worry! He won't attack if he doesn't know where I am. Anyway, he's never tried to fight us so quickly after a battle, especially one like that! I need to go home so I can take my test! Don't worry about me, okay!"

She returned her gaze to his face but he had also turned his head and had similar look to the one she had just had. "Look, I shouldn't have..." he began, but he returned also returned his eyes to hers and started again. "I don't know how you can be so calm about this! If you had been seriously injured, would you be leaving now! He could have killed you! If he figures out that he can separate us and just attack you when you're without weapons or help, he will! I couldn't take that! You shouldn't have wandered off alone in the first place!"

"How many times to I have to tell you, I. Have. A. Test!" Kagome screamed. "I'm leaving now, and that's final!"

"No you aren't!" Inuyasha answered, moving in closer in case he had to stop her. "Even if you did go through the well, I would follow you! I'm not going to let you be by yourself! If anything happened to you, I couldn't live with myself! I..." He paused for a moment. "You... you know we're supposed to work together, to find the jewels and things," he continued softly. "We're a team, even though we do have a few more people now. I have to protect you, no matter what. And I'm afraid that something could happen. That's why I can't let you leave, or at least be by yourself."

Kagome stared at him, her anger still evident but was noticeably lessening as her eyes softened. "It'll be okay, Inuyasha," she said quietly. "I promise it will. Just let me go home for a little while. If... if you're that worried I'll come back right after school. I'll only be gone for a little less than a day. But I think it would be best if I stayed a little longer since my friends will probably be wondering about whatever illness Grandpa said I have." 

"No, it's all right," Inuyasha said, still sounding as he did the last time he spoke. "I'm over reacting. You... you should go and take your test or whatever. I'm sorry."

"Inuyasha?"

"I..." he suddenly said, not seeming to notice that he was saying this out loud and looking away, "I just want you to be safe. I get really worried about you, Kagome. I couldn't stand it if anything happened. It was hard enough when I found out that Kikyo was dead, but I still thought that she had betrayed me then. I... just don't know what that would be like now, with the way things are. Not that... Never mind. I know that you need to do that school thing because that's the way things are in your time and... and when we're done with our mission, I suppose you'll probably need to have that for when you're... really gone."

Kagome had a confused and painful look on her face, but remained silent and watched him stare off into the increasingly darker darkness. "But, for now at least, I want to make sure that you're okay, and after what happened with Naraku I'm more worried than ever. I'm just worried that if you leave that something could happen and you won't come back to us or I'll never see you again. I know I shouldn't be this worried about it, it'll probably happen someday, but hopefully not for the reason I fear. As long as I can know that you're safe I'll be all right, and with the way our mission is becoming I can't bear to have you by yourself where something can happen."

He stopped his strange one sided conversation and returned his gaze to her. She still looked the same although he had not seen her with this face. Small tears could be seen beneath her eyes. 

"Oh man," Inuyasha said, returning to the manner he usually had around people. "Now you're crying! What am I supposed to do!"

Kagome hung her head. "I'm sorry."

"What for!"

"Well, you said you keep having to worry about me. I'm sorry I can't look after myself. And I'm sorry that I'm so much of a bother to you."

"What?" Inuyasha said, making a really strange face. "What do you mean!"

"I'm too much trouble. I know we have our mission, but I do need to go to school like you said. I don't mean to make you worry so much, especially when you've got her to worry about."

"Huh?"

"Like you were saying about Kikyo..."

"Oh, that's... That's not what I meant!" he exclaimed, trying desperately to cheer her up. "I mean, I don't mind worrying about you... that didn't come out right either. What I'm trying to say is..."

"It's okay," Kagome interrupted. "I'll just miss my test if it'll make things easier on you."

"Don't do that!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "I just don't want Naraku to pull something after what happened the other day, I don't want you to never go back to your own time! I want to you go back!"

"Oh, I see..." Kagome trailed off as a few of the forming tears streamed down her face.

"Erg, why can't I talk right today!" Inuyasha exclaimed, trying his best to talk his way out of the wall he had just put himself into. "I want to know that you're safe. I also want you to be happy and if going to school is what you want, then that's fine. But I'm afraid that something bad could happen while you're gone and we'll be separated."

"Then what did you mean when you were talking about..." her voice faded away as she stopped herself from looking back up. 

"What?"

"You know... her."

Inuyasha sighed. "I... was... I mean, I... I was just saying how bad it was for me to lose her even when I thought I hated her for killing me. I thought it was her fault but it still wasn't easy. And I was trying to..." He too trailed off and lowered his head.

"Just do what you want. I'll try not to worry too much." he said quietly. "I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all."

He let himself lose the image of what was around him and lost himself in his thoughts again. "I remember when that first happened. I thought I was dead, but the next thing I knew, there she was, trying not to get killed by that crazy centipede lady. At the time, I thought she was Kikyo, but then I realized that she wasn't. But she still freed me from the curse I had been under for fifty years. I tried to kill her for the jewel after that. She reminded me so much of her, which is probably why we couldn't get along at all. Then that stupid old woman put this necklace on me so I couldn't get my hands on it and become all demon like I thought I should have fifty years ago and not have let Kikyo betray me like I thought she did.

"With the things Kagome began doing, I was beginning to believe that she was her reincarnation, not that I'd let anybody else know that. And then the jewel broke and Kaede sent us off to piece it together. So much has happened since then. I hated her at first. I didn't even like working with her, but we managed. Then all these other things started happening, Naraku, Sesshomaru, the Tetsusaiga, Kikyo... But she was there through all of it. Sure, she went back to her own time every once in a while, but she was still there when I needed her. And it took me a while to realize how much I really did. So much has happened, and after the battle four days ago, I can't let her get hurt. I know I've hurt her in different ways, with Kikyo and all, but yet I... I thought I was doing the right things at those times. Maybe I wasn't. Maybe I never was." 

He looked back up at Kagome, who was still hanging her head and trying not to let her tears slip.

"I just want to know that she's okay."

"Kagome?" he said, trying to get her attention. 

She finally looked back at him, still fighting to keep herself from crying. "Yes?"

"Don't... please stop crying. Just forget everything I've said today, please? Nothing was coming out right. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Go take your test and come back when you're ready. Everything will be fine here. You were right. Naraku probably won't attack us for a long time. Even if he did, I'm sure you could handle yourself. You're really good at doing that."

He laughed a little, still looking at her. Her eyes were beginning to dry and now she was seeming confused again. "What are you saying, Inuyasha?"

"I'm telling you not to worry about what I told you. I've been an idiot. I don't like when you get hurt, whether it's by injury or something else."

"But I thought you said..."

"Forget what I said! Forget all of it! Every time I've ever made you mad or sad... Any of that! Just forget it all! I don't want you feel that way!"

"Inuyasha..." Kagome began softly, but stopped and continued to watch him as he seemed to be becoming more and more hysterical.

"I'm sorry I made you feel bad. I shouldn't have said some of those things. I shouldn't have tried to stop you and I shouldn't have mentioned Kikyo, because whenever I do nothing comes out like I want it to." All though he seemed to be losing himself, he felt as though he was the most in control he had been since he went to stop her. He kept his eyes fixed on hers.

"I know how it makes you feel when I talk about her, and what I was saying didn't sound like I wanted it to. I'm only concerned about you, okay? Just forgot all the times I've been stupid, please!"

He and Kagome stared at each other for a moment in silence.

"What are you saying?" she finally asked.

"I'm saying that I... " He stopped and looked at her for a second longer. "I said that I'm only worried about how you're doing. That's what I've been trying to say... I think..."

"I... I understand," Kagome replied, looking much better but still remaining very enclosed.

"Kagome..." Inuyasha began, but once again stopped himself.

"Is that what I've been trying to say?" he thought. "But, I don't think I can... Does she really understand what I've been trying to tell her? That I..."

They continued to look into each others eyes, not aware of what the other was thinking but hoping that they understood.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome finally exclaimed, running toward him with her arms out stretched. He was shocked for a moment but then moved toward her, preparing to hold her in his own arms. Just them. 

"Kagome..." Inuyasha said softly as they came nearer. He reached, ready to pull her toward himself.

"SIT!"

The rosary lit up and threw itself to the ground, Inuyasha going with it. He lifted his sore head into the mid afternoon light and looked at the faces of Miroku, Sango, Kagome, Shippo, and Kilala all looking upset.

"Look, he's joined us!" Kagome said sarcastically, holding the handles of her bike as she and the other had just stopped walking down the trail they had been following.

"Yeah, you've been spacing off all day," Shippo added matter of factly. "I know we haven't seen any jewel shards or had any battles in two weeks, but you could at least pay attention to what we're doing."

"Yes, what were you thinking about, anyway?" Miroku asked with his usual tone.

"I... Uh..." he tried to begin, picking himself up and wondering how he was going to get himself out of this one.

"Don't bother," Kagome interrupted, starting to walk down the trail again. "We all know what you were doing."

"What's her problem?" he asked as she continued to move on.

"Isn't it obvious?" Sango replied.

"Since you didn't answer, it's safest to assume that you were thinking about Kikyo," Shippo said.

"What! No I wasn't!" Inuyasha exclaimed.

"Then tell her that."

He raced off and leapt in front of Kagome.

"What's wrong?" he asked, hoping that wasn't what she was thinking. "What did you think I was doing?"

"What you obviously were doing!" she angrily replied.

"I... I wasn't thinking about Kikyo if that's what you think!"

"Then what were you thinking about?"

"I... um... that is, I..." He couldn't figure out how to tell her what had been going on in his mind for the last he didn't know how many minutes.

"I knew it," Kagome again interrupted, started to walk around him.

"Wait, Kagome, it's not like that!"

"Then what is it like?"

"... I can't tell you that."

"You just did!" she finished angrily.

"Please, hear me out!" Inuyasha pleaded. Maybe he would have to resort to making what had just been a perfect scene in his head to becoming a way out of her being mad at him.

"SIT!" Kagome screamed, causing the hanyou to once again be thrown to the ground.

The others, who had been watching this scene, began to travel again as well.

"I can't believe Inuyasha," Sango said as they walked around his still pinned body. "Why does he do things like this?"

"I don't know," Miroku replied. "He's been spacing off a lot lately. The poor girl. What could he be thinking?"

If only they knew...

* * *

AN: So, there it is! A lot of times on these "first" ones, people want you to be nice in reviews, but I want honesty! How was it? If you don't tell me the truth, I won't be able to get better. Oh well, I'm sure I'll be writing more Inuyasha fics soon, and maybe romance fics but who knows what shows I'll use for that! I'm starting to get pretty busy so I can't write much, but keep you eyes open! And review! 


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